Straight bar knitting



Aug. 20, 1963 L. BROWN ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27, 1959 l au/m1- W: m 8r a mu zm m Aug. 20, 1-963 1.. BROWN ETAL STRAIGHT BARKNITTING 5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Oct. 27, 1959 Aug. 20, 1963 OWN T 3,100,975

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING Filed Oct. 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 20, 19 63 BROWN ETAL 3,100,975

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING Filed Oct. 2'7, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Wk e m YW/Vx (ZIQO EMoM J MJM Si Aug. 20, 1963 L, BROWN ETAL 3,100,915

STRAIGHT BAR"KNITTING F-iled Oct. 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG a I United States Patent 3,16%,975 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING Leonard Brown, Nottingham, and Alan Edward Hincklieif, Epperstone, England, assignors to Wiiliam Cotton Limited Filed Get. 27, 195%, Ser. No. 849,4991 Claims priority, application Great Eritain Get. 23, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 66-96) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to straight bar knitting machines and specifically to patterning of fabric produced thereon.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby fabric can be produced by said machines with a cable stitch pattern.

The invention provides a method of producing on a straight bar knitting machine employing bearded needles, knitted articles having a cable stitch pattern, in which method groups of loop transfer instruments are employed to pick up a group of loops from the bearded needles and to transfer them back to the needles with sub-groups of the loops crossed-over.

Conveniently said instruments are operated first to pick up two adjacent sub-groups of loops from adjacent subgroups of the bearded needles at opposite sides of a centre line, then to transfer the loops of one subgroup of loops at one side of the centre line to the sub-group of bearded needles at the other side thereof, and next to transfer the loops of the other sub-group of loops at said other side of the centre line to the sub-group of bearded needles at said one side of the centre line.

Conveniently also two adjacent sub-groups of instruments corresponding to the subgroups of loops are operated simultaneously to pick-up the loops of both sub-groubs thereof at the opposite sides of said centre line respectively, then the two sub-groups of instruments are shogged sideways simultaneously in one direction through a distance of one sub-group to extend one sub-group of loops by its sub-group of instruments from one side of said centre line into registry with the subgroup of bearded needles at the other side of the centre line, next this sub-group of instruments are boxed with said sub-group of bearded needles to transfer the extended loops to them, then the two subgroups of instruments are shogged back simultaneously through the whole distance of the two subgroups so that the sub-group of the loops from said other side of the centre line is extended by its sub-group of instruments into registry with the sub-group of bearded needles at the one side of the centre line, and then this sub-group of instruments is boxed with the latter sub-group of bearded needles to transfer the latter extended sub-group of loops to them.

Generally the operation is repeated in alternation with the production of courses of knitted fabric to make a repeat cable stitch pattern.

More specifically the operation is carried out during two consecutive fashioning motions of the machine.

The invention also provides in a straight bar knitting machine, means for producing knitted articles with cable stitch patterns, which means comprises bearded needles, adjacent sub-groups of loop transfer instruments for cooperation with the bearded needles, means mounting said instruments for dipping movements and means mounting said instruments for sideways movements in opposite directions appropriate for the transfer of loops by the instruments from some of the bearded needles to others of the bearded needles, and means for effecting said movements of the instruments appropriate to produce a crossed-over loop formation at spaced course intervals.

Conveniently the two sub-groups of instruments are mounted in a slide block for the sideways movements 3,19%,975 Patented Aug. 20, 1963 simultaneously and each is carried by its own slide bar in the block for independent dipping movements.

Conveniently also the machine has means connecting the slide block to the machines narrowing head for obtaining the movements of the instruments, and means associating the slide bars with the narrowing head appropriate for obtaining their dipping movements independently.

There may be means for displacing the instruments into and out of activity.

There may be any convenient number of blocks each with its own slide bars and instruments for producing a plurality of parallel cablings in the fabric.

One or more of the cablings may be produced of different hand from that of one or more others of the cablings.

In one arrangement the sideways and dip-ping movements of the instruments are obtained from the main earn shaft of the machine through the intermediary of half speed cam operated mechanism (for the independent motion) and racked cam mechanism (for the sideways motion), both mechanisms being operable under control of shogging of the cam shaft.

Modification to suit the operations of the loop transfer instruments may be effected in the motions of the narrowing head and the needles.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 to 6 are diagrammatic illustrations of loop transfer instruments movements for producing cabled pattern fabric according to the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of mechanism for efiecting the loop transfer instruments movement;

FIGURE 8 is a view of mounting means for the loop transfer instruments, looking at the other side to that shown in FIGURE 7 and with a cover plate shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 9 is a detail view of narrowing head operating means;

FIGURE 10 is a detail View of needle presser operating means.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 there is provided a group la of loop transfer instruments 1, in this example composed of two side by side subgroups 1b and 110.

These transfer instruments 1 are mounted and operable, by means hereinafter fully described, to pick-up a complete group of loops from the needles and to transfer them back to the needles with sub-groups of the loops crossed-over.

More specifically FIGURE 1 shows a starting position in which the loop transfer instruments 1 are spaced from the needles 2, the latter having loops L thereon.

When it is required to produce a cable pattern in the fabric, the loop transfer instruments 1 of the group la are first dipped to register with their associated needles of a corresponding group 2a thereof as shown in FIGURE 2 followed by the instruments rising to take the loops from the needles. Next, as shown in FIGURE 3, the loop transfer instruments 1 of the group 1a: are shifted sideways to extend a complete group In of the loops L to one side of a centre line OL, followed by a second dip of the instruments to register their loops with the associated needles. Then the loop transfer instruments 1 of the sub-group 1b which are nearest the centre line CL, and which came [from the other side of the centre line, are raised to transfer their sub-groups Lb of the loops L to the corresponding sub-group 2c of the needles 2 at said one side of the centre line (FIGURE 4); this constitutes half of a cross-over motion of the loops L, and rat the stage when the loop transfer instruments 1 of the sub group 1b 3 are withdrawn from their loops Lb the loop transfer instruments 1 of the other sub-group 1c retain their loops L of the sub-group Lc.

Next, the instruments 1c are raised carrying their loops Lc with them and, as shown in FIGURE 5, these loops are then extended, by sideways shifting of the loop transfer instruments 1 for the distance of a complete group, from their last position at said one side of the centre line CL to the other side of the centre line, and next follows a dip and rise of the instruments 1 whereby the loops Lc are then transferred by the sub-group 1c of the loop trans-fer instruments 1 to the sub-group 2b of the needles 2 at said other side of the centre line to complete the cross-over.

The loop transfer instruments 1 are then rendered inoperative and a desired number of courses without loop transferring by the instruments are produced, as shown in FIGURE '6 and after returning the loop transfer instruments 1 of the group In to their starting position the above described operations are repeated to make a complete cable formation.

In order to effect this transfer of each subgroup 1]), lie, of the loops L to the needles at opposite sides of the centre line, the loop transfer instruments 1 of the group In are shiftable sideways collectively and the subgroups 1b, 1c, are independently operable for independently registering with the needles.

More specifically the loop transfer instruments 1 of the two sub-groups 1b, 1c, are mounted on a common block 3 (FIGURE 7) for sideways displacement collectively and each is carried by its own slide bar 4, '5 in the block 3 for independent needle registering movements.

As shown in FIGURE 8 the block 3 has a diagonal slideway 3a for the one slide bar 4, the loop transfer instruments 112 of this slide bar 4 being cranked to bring them into ventical attitude; the block 3 also has a vertical slot 312 for a slide bar 6 which itself has a diagonal slot 6a for the other slide bar which also has its sub-group of instruments In cranked to bring them into vertical attitude. These parts are maintained in position by a cover plate shown in broken lines at 7, and the slide bar 5 has a locating stop "5a which locates against said cover plate 7.

The block 3 is slidably mounted on a rod S carried by bnackets 9 of the narrowing head and there is another rod 10 on which the block 3 is secured and by which it can be sideways displaced; the two rods 8 and 1t maintain the block 3- upright.

For the sideways displacement the rod 10 is biassed by a' spring 10a in one direction and is displaceable in the other direction by a lever 11 operated by a cam 12. The cam 12 is racked round by a rack wheel 13, and a pawl 14, which latter is operable through the medium of a bell crank lever 15, a link connection 16 between the latter and a lever 17, and this lever 17 being biassed by a spring 18 for engagement with a cam 19 on the main cam shaft For independent registering of the subgroups 1b, 1c, of the loop transfer instruments 1, the one slide bar 4 is releasably connected by a hook portion 4a to a bar 21, the latter being carried by arms 22, 23 from a spindle 24, the latter being carried by the brackets 9 of the narrowing head and adapted to have a rocking movement imparted to it by an arm 25, through a link 26, and a lever 27 engag: ing with a cam 28 on the machines helf speed shaft 29.

Similarly, for the slide bar 5 the slide bar 6 has a releasable hooked connection 612 with a rod 30 carried by arms 3-1, '32 from a spindle 33 which has a rocking movement imparted to it by an arm 34, a link 35 and a lever 36 engaging a cam 37 on the half speed shaft 29.

The half speed shaft 29 is driven at required times by chain and sprocket means 38 from the main cam shaft 20 under control of a dog clutch 39 which is made and broken by shogging of the main cam shaft 20 under control of the usual means for preparing the machine for fashioning motions. Shogging of the main cam shaft 20 also brings the cam 19 into and out of operative position on the lever 17.

It will thus be seen that when it is desired to effect cross-over of sub-groups of loops in the formation of cable patterning, this is accomplished by preparing the machine for a fashioning motion in which the shogging of the main cam shaft 20 engages the dog clutch 39 to start the half speed shaft .29 and engages the cam 19 with the lever 17, the parts being maintained thus for carrying out two consecutive fashioning motions of the machine by means and in a manner well known in the art.

As a result of this the motions of the loop transfer instruments 1 as described with reference to FIGURES 1 to 6 are then carried out, through the medium of the ratchet operated cam 12 effecting the sideways displacerent of the loop transfer instruments 1 and the half speed cams 28, 3'7 effecting, in conjunction with the usual dipping motions of the narrowing head, the registering of the sub-groups of points independently with the appropriate sub-groups of needles.

There will generally be two or more of the blocks 3 and associated loop transfer instruments 1 and slide bars 4, 5, 6 whereby an equivalent number of parallel cable patterns can be produced in the fabric.

Any two or more of the cable patterns may be of opposite hand by their respective loop transfer instruments 1 being arranged to have their sideways shifting motions in opposite directions.

The releasable hooked connections 4a, '61), of the slide bars 4, 6 enables any one or more of the groups of loop transfer instruments 1 to be brought into and out of action as and when required.

. ing head are as follows:

The narrowing head makes its first and second dips in the first fashioning motion with all the instruments moving simultaneously under appropriate control of the cams 28 and 37 and the first sideways shifting is under control of the cam 12.

As the narrowing head rises after its second dip of FIGURE 3 (in the first fashioning motion of the machine) the slide bar 5 moves downward by its cam 37 to maintain the loop transfer instruments of sub-group 1c at the lower position with the loops retained thereon clear of the needle beards while the loop transfer points of the sub-group 1b rise with the narrowing head for their loops to be left on the needles, under appropriate control of the cam 23.

The loop transfer instruments of the subgroup 1c are then raised to inoperative position by the cam 37 before the second fashioning motion of the machine. I The first dip and rise in the second fashioning motion 1s accomplished without pressing the needle beards (by means hereinafter described) and the rise is accompanied by the cams 28, 37 causing the loop transfer instruments {CIT-1S6, with the sub-group 10 carrying their loops 1c with them. This is followed by sideways shifting of the instruments under the control of the cam 12, in this second fashioning motion, to extend the loops Lc over to the needles of the sub-group 2b wheneupon the second dip and rise, in the second fashioning motion, causes the transfer of the loops L0 to the needles 2b. After the narrowing machine next rises to raise the instruments la, the block 2 is returned to its initial inoperative positron to locate the loop transfer instruments of the complete group 1 in the starting position.

Referring now to FIGURE 9 this shows the narrowing head operating lever 138, fixed roller 139, shiftable roller 40, and cams 4'1, 42 on the main cam shaft 20. The fixed roller 139 controls the normal motion of the narrowing head, by which for example normal fashioning of selvedges can be effected between consecutive cablings.

The shiftable roller 49 is moved by a cam on the machines half speed shaft onto a cam 42 on the main cam shaft 20 when the loops are first taken off the needles by the loop transfer instruments in order to retain the narrowing head in a lower position for the consecutive fashioning motions thereby enabling the slot guiding the slide bar in the block 3 to be of short length. The roller 40 is moved back off the said cam 42 following that rise of the instruments when, in the second fashioning motion, the second take off of loops by the loop transfer instruments from the needles occurs.

As shown in FIGURE the needle pressing lever 42a carries a fixed roller 43 and a shiftable roller 44-. The shiftable roller 44 is moved by a cam on the half speed shaft, immediately after the first transfer of loops from the needles by the loop transfer instruments, onto a fashioning cam 45 to prevent the needles from registering with the loop transfer instluments at the first dip in the second fashioning motion and is returned thereafter.

What we claim is:

1. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a cable stitch forming apparatus comprising a row of needles; a transfer unit including a supporting means, a first transfer means including a first group of transfer elements, and second transfer means including a second group of transfer elements, said first group of transfer elements registering with a first group of said needles and said second group of transfer elements registering with a second group of said needles in a normal position of said transfer unit, each of said transfer means being movable toward and away from said needles, and said transfer unit being movable with said first and second transfer means along said row of needles; first operating means for moving said transfer unit from said normal position to a shifted position in which said first group of transfer elements registers with said second group of needles, and back to said normal position; second operating means for moving said first transfer means towards and away from said needles for picking up by said first group of transfer elements a group of loops from said first group of needles and for depositing the loops on said second group of needles after a movement of said transfer unit; third operating means for moving said second transfer means toward and away from said needles for picking up by said second group of transfer elements a group of loops from said second group of needles and depositing the loops on said first group of needles after an opposite movement of said transfer unit; and control means operatively connecting said first, second and third operating means for effecting shifting of said transfer unit and loop transfer movements of said transfer means in a timed sequence.

2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first operating means includes means for moving said transfer unit with said transfer means in one direction toward said needles during one fashioning motion, and in the opposite direction away from said needle during the next fashioning motion of two successive fashioning motions of the machine for simultaneously moving said first and second groups of transfer elements to and from the level of said row of needles.

3. 'In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a cable stitch forming apparatus comprising a row of needles; a transfer unit including a supporting means having two guide ways, a first transfer means including a first slide member mounted in one of said guide ways and a first group of transfer elements, and second transfer means including a second slide member mounted in the other guide way and a second group of transfer elements, said slide members being mounted in said guide ways for movement independently of each other, said first group of transfer elements registering with the first group of said needles and said second group of transfer elements registering with a second group of said needles in a normal position of said transfer unit, each of said transfer means being movable toward and away from said needles, and said transfer unit being movable with said first and second transfer means along said row of needles; first operating means for moving said transfer unit from said normal position to a shifted position in which said first group of transfer ele ments registers with said second group of needles, and back to said normal position; second operating means for moving said first transfer means toward and away from said needles for picking up by said first group of transfer elements a group of loops from said first group of needles and for depositing the loops on said second group of needles after a movement of said transfer unit, said second operating means including connecting means connected to said first slide member; third operating means for moving said second transfer means toward and away from said needles for picking up by said second group of transfer elements a group of loops from said second group of needles and for depositing the loops on said first group of needles after an opposite movement of said transfer unit, said third operating means including connecting means connected to said second slide member; and control means operatively connecting said first, second and third operating means for effecting shifting of said transfer unit and loop transfer movements of said transfer means in a timed sequence.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a cable stitch forming apparatus comprising a row of needles; a transfer unit including a supporting means, a first transfer means including a first connecting slide member and a first group of transfer elements, and second transfer means including a second connecting slide member and a second group of transfer elements, said first group of transfer elements registering with a first group of said needles and said second group of transfer elements registering with a second group of said needles in a normal position of said transfer unit, each of said transfer means being movable toward and away from said needles, and said transfer unit being movable with said first and second transfer means along said row of needles; first operating means for moving said transfer unit from said normal position to a shifted position in which said first group of transfer elements registers with said second group of needles, and back to said normal position; second operating means including a rockable member having an elongated rod extending in the direction of said row of needles, and being slidably engaged 'by said first connecting slide member to permit movement of said transfer unit along said row of needles, said second operating means moving said first transfer means toward and away from said needles for picking up by said first group of transfer elements a group of loops from said first group of needles and for depositing the loops on said second group of needles after a movement of said transfer unit; third operating means including a second rockable member having an elongated rod extending in the direction of said row of needles, and being slidably engaged by said second connecting slide member to permit movement of said transfer unit along said row of needles, said third operating mean-s moving said second transfer means toward and away from said needles for picking up by said second group of transfer elements a group of loops from said second group of needles and depositing the loops of said first group of needles after an opposite movement of said transfer unit, each of said second and third operating means including cam means operatively connected to said first and second rockable members, respectively, for operating said first and second transfer means; and control means operatively connecting said first, second and third operating means for effecting shifting of said transfer unit and loop transfer movement of said transfer means in a timed sequence.

5. In a straight bar knitting machine, in combination, a cable stitch forming apparatus comprising a row of needles; a transfer unit including a supporting means, a first transfer means including a first group of transfer elements, and second transfer means including a second group of transfer elements, said first group of transfer elements registering with a first group of said needles and said second group of transfer elements registering with a second group of said needles in a normal position of said transfer unit, each of said transfer means being movable toward and away from said needles, and said transfer unit being movable with said first and second transfer means along said row of needles; first operating means for moving said transfer unit from said normal position to a shifted position in which said first group of transfer elements registers with said second group of needles, and back to said normal position, said first operating means including a rockable member and an elongated rod extending in the direction of said row of needles, and slidably supporting said transfer unit, cam means operatively connected to said r-ockable member for rocking the same, and other cam means operatively connected to said transfer unit for moving the same along said rod and said row of needles; second operating means for moving said first transfer means towards and away from said needles :for picking up by said first group of transfer elements a group of loops from said first group of needles and for depositing the loops on said second References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,294 Garric Mar. 9, 1943 2,691,878 Boxer Oct. 19, 1954 2,697,923 Kohler et a1 Dec. 28, 1954 2,716,877 Wickardt Sept. 6, 1955 2,755,646 Golaski July 24, 1956 2,923,142 Golaski Feb. 2, 1960 3,004,415 Golaski Oct. 17, 1961 

1. IN A STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION, A CABLE STITCH FORMING APPARATUS COMPRISING A ROW OF NEEDLES; A TRANSFER UNIT INCLUDING A SUPPORTING MEANS, A FIRST TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS, AND SECOND TRANSFER MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS, SAID FIRST GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS REGISTERING WITH A FIRST GROUP OF SAID NEEDLES AND SAID SECOND GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS REGISTERING WITH A SECOND GROUP OF SAID NEEDLES IN A NORMAL POSITION OF SAID TRANSFER UNIT, EACH OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLES, AND SAID TRANSFER UNIT BEING MOVABLE WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND TRANSFER MEANS ALONG SAID ROW OF NEEDLES; FIRST OPERATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID TRANSFER UNIT FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION TO A SHIFTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID FIRST GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS REGISTERS WITH SAID SECOND GROUP OF NEEDLES, AND BACK TO SAID NORMAL POSITION; SECOND OPERATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID FIRST TRANSFER MEANS TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLES FOR PICKING UP BY SAID FIRST GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS A GROUP OF LOOPS FROM SAID FIRST GROUP OF NEEDLES AND FOR DEPOSITING THE LOOPS ON SAID SECOND GROUP OF NEEDLES AFTER A MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER UNIT; THIRD OPERATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND TRANSFER MEANS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID NEEDLES FOR PICKING UP BY SAID SECOND GROUP OF TRANSFER ELEMENTS A GROUP OF LOOPS FROM SAID SECOND GROUP OF NEEDLES AND DEPOSITING THE LOOPS ON SAID FIRST GROUP OF NEEDLES AFTER AN OPPOSITE MOVEMENT OF SAID TRANSFER UNIT; AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD OPERATING MEANS FOR EFFECTING SHIFTING OF SAID TRANSFER UNIT AND LOOP TRANSFER MOVEMENTS OF SAID TRANSFER MEANS IN A TIMED SEQUENCE. 